


i'm safest by your side

by eyesmiling



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Nomin Stop Starving Us, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, it's literally just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 17:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15124097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyesmiling/pseuds/eyesmiling
Summary: Jeno likes his roommates, he really does.But listening to the frequent and busy rustling of bed sheets and annoyingly loud snores resounding throughout the whole room everytime at two in the morning?He kind of wants to smother both Renjun and Jisung with a pillow. Gently. Because he's not a bad person.(In which Jeno just wants somewhere to sleep.)





	i'm safest by your side

**Author's Note:**

> nomin if you're reading this please breathe

Jeno wakes up groggily, his throat dried up and his vision blurry. He wipes the remnants of sleep on his eyes, adjusting his vision to the dark then looks over at the digital alarm clock that's sitting on top of his bedside drawer.

 _2:03 AM,_ it reads. Too early for him to be even functioning right now.

He knows why he's awake, actually. How can he not when the reason is literally surrounding him right now?

The bed above him creaks loudly and the familiar sounds of rustling bed sheets and Renjun's mumbling confirms why he's awake. Then, as if it wasn't enough, a loud snore echoes around the room and Jeno whips his head around, staring at the bed just across him with Jisung lying on top of it, one leg thrown off the side of the bed and drool coming out of his opened mouth, more snores coming out of it. 

Jeno thinks what he has done wrong to deserve to suffer like this. He groans, flopping back on his bed, shutting his eyes closed.

Jeno likes his roommates, he really does.

But listening to the frequent and busy rustling of bed sheets and annoyingly loud snores resounding throughout the whole room everytime at two in the morning?

He kind of wants to smother both Renjun and Jisung with a pillow. Gently. Because he's not a bad person.

After listening to the sounds that will undoubtedly be the cause of his lack of sleep and insanity for about five minutes more, he eventually gives up trying to sleep. He sits up, swinging his legs on the side of his bed and stands up.

Jeno grabs his pillow and silently tip-toes his way out. His escape was like an obstacle course, with empty bag of chips and stray controllers lying on the ground. They really need to clean up.

He closes the door gently and quietly, even if he wants to bang it shut and wake Renjun and Jisung up so they can stop doing their annoying sleeping habits. But again, he's not a bad person.

Jeno pads his way down the living room, throwing his pillow on the couch and making his way to the kitchen to grab some water.

He takes some glass and a pitcher, pouring the glass with water. After drinking, he makes his way back to the living room and plops himself down the couch, the springs creaking noisily under his weight.

He twists and turns for a minute before finding a comfortable position, closing his eyes and hopefully get some sleep.

Jeno was in the verge of falling asleep when a gust of wind flies past him, leaving a cold feeling on his body. He jolts awake, sitting up again.  _How can I forget to bring a blanket?_ he thinks, rubbing a hand down his face.

Jeno looks around the dorm, trying to find a perfect place to sleep when his eyes land on a familiar room.

_Oh, of course._

Jeno stands up, grabbing his pillow and makes his way upstairs again, walking to familiar path towards his best friend's room.  _Jaemin's_ room, to be more specific.

He stops in front of Jaemin's door, considering knocking but  _hey,_ they're close enough for one to enter the other's bedroom without any signs of permission, right?  _Right._

Jeno twists the knob open, unlocking it and making his way inside. He closes the door as silently as he could and pads his way towards the younger's bed, where the said boy is sleeping peacefully.

Jeno kind of regrets going here and possibly waking him up just because he can't sleep, adding the fact that Jaemin is probably in a very contented slumber right now.

Turning around, he starts to make his way out when he's suddenly stopped by a quiet "Jeno?"

The older boy freezes, stopping in his tracks and turns around slowly, only to be greeted by a very sleepy-looking Jaemin who's rubbing his eyes and  _wow,_ who allowed him to be this cute?ーwait, pause. It's too late to be thinking that right now, he figures.

"What are you doing here?" Jaemin slurs when Jeno doesn't respond, too busy looking at him and too nervous to respond.

Jeno clears his throat, which made it even more dry because there's nothing to be cleared in his throat, anyways. "Well, you see, I can't sleep." He gives Jaemin a sheepish smile afterwards.

"Why?" The younger quirks a brow, turning his body around so he's fully facing him. 

Jeno frowns, scratching the back of his neck. "AhーRenjun and Jisung are being too noisy with their sleeping habits. I think it's made to torture me." He explains.

"You're so dramatic." Jaemin snorts. "But like, why are you  _here_?"

"I don't know where else to sleep." Jeno shrugs before continuing, "Your room is the only option."

Jaemin fakes a pained gasp and lays an offended hand over his chest, exclaiming dramatically. "I knew you only stayed with me for my luck with having a room all by myself. You dare to betray me like this, Lee Jeno."

It's Jeno's turn to snort and rolls his eyes. "And you call me the dramatic one."

Jaemin's laugh fills the room. "Wow, way to call me out like that." 

The older rolls his eyes again. "So, would you let me sleep in here or do I just leave and sulk?"

Jaemin's laughing stops and his face suddenly becomes blank. He eyes Jeno up and down which made the older  _slightly_ uncomfortable before speaking up again.

"Lee Jeno, my best friend, my buddy, my partner in crime, my ride or dieー"

"Oh my god, just answer the questionー"

"ーof course I won't!"

"Okaーwait, did you just say you won't?" Jeno can feel his lips turning into a pout, feeling extremely betrayed.

"I won't." Jaemin answers with a blank tone, before his stoic facade crumbles down when he laughs again. "I'm kidding, you looked so sad and zombie-like. A sad zombieーokay, stop pouting already, it's making me feel bad."

Jeno's lips curled into a smile. "So, I'm allowed to sleep here?"

"You have literally slept in my room like, a hundred times already. Why do you even have to ask?" amusement fills Jaemin's eyes as Jeno mumbles an "Oh, you're right."

Jaemin scoots to the side until his arm hits the wall and raises his blanket up, letting Jeno slip inside and lay beside him, with Jeno knocking his knee in the process. Jeno quickly apologizes and adjusts himself on the bed, turning to his side and facing Jaemin.

The younger also turns to his side, staring back at Jeno.

"Why are you looking at me?" Jaemin asks softly.

"I'm not." Jeno answers, his mouth curling into a small smile.

Jaemin snickers, gently hitting Jeno's arm. "Creep."

Jeno continues staring at him and Jaemin eventually shies away, looking down on the older's hand that's laying in between them. Jaemin bring his own hand up and covers Jeno's hands with his, intertwining their fingers.

Jeno feels his heart burst with the action.

If we're counting back on the days where Jaemin and Jeno first met, Jeno's pretty sure it's the day he becomes infatuated by the younger. The first time Jaemin steps in the building, Jeno literally feels the time stopping and everything going in slow motion. No, this is not just his dramatic self speaking. Well, maybe it is. Kind of.

He remembers the first time Jaemin shows him affection, the first time he held his hand and kissed his cheek, the first time he hugged Jeno and told him that " _it's all gonna be okay, as long as we have each other."_

Maybe Jeno was too young, too naive, too close-minded for the harsh reality that's gradually opening up to him. But no, he  _knows._

He remembers the time where they jokingly exchange vows, that they'll be together even until death. It's an empty promise that only their youthful self can even differ on what they are right now, but the genuine smile and pure happiness he saw on Jaemin's face when they linked their pinkies together, he thinks that it would all be worth the wait.

"Is this okay?" Jaemin asks him again, his thumb running on Jeno's knuckles gently. Jeno only nods, tightening his grip.

Jeno raises his free hand and cups Jaemin's right cheek, his thumb caressing his cheekbone. Jaemin's eyes flutters shut and he shuffles closer to Jeno, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Jeno untangles their hands together and decides to ignore the flutter on his chest when he hears Jaemin whine and uses it to slide on the space between Jaemin's neck and the pillow, his arm snaking around his shoulder and pulling him closer.

Jaemin lets out a satisfied sigh and snuggles closer to him, burying his face on Jeno's chest. Jeno hopes to all holy that Jaemin wouldn't hear his erratic heartbeat.

The older boy brings down the hand he uses to cup Jaemin's cheek to curl it around the younger's waist instead, pressing his nose and lips on top of Jaemin's head and closing his eyes.

Jaemin's arm is thrown over Jeno's torso, effectively leaving no space in between them. He hears the younger's breathing has gone slow and even, thinking that he's already fallen asleep.

When Jeno is about to sleep, he's suddenly awoken by Jaemin's soft voice.

"Hey, Jeno." Jaemin muffles against his chest. Jeno only hums in query. "What are we?" The younger continues.

Jeno quirks a brow, but soon realizes that Jaemin can't see him. "What do you mean, Nana?"

The younger sighs, tightening his hold around Jeno's torso and hooking his ankles between Jeno's calf. "Like, what is our relationship? Are we friends? Close friends? Best friends? Something more?" Jaemin fires out questions one by one, tone still soft.

Jeno chuckles against his hair. "It's too early to think about that kind of stuff, Na." 

Jaemin breathes out a laugh, burying his face deeper on his chest. "You know what, you're right. Goodnight, Jeno."

Jeno hums, letting his eyes close again. "Goodnight."

 

 

"ーeno, Jeno!" 

Jeno jolts awake, sitting up so fast black splotches fill his vision. He rubs his eyes haphazardly, looking around the room in confusion. 

"Ah, you're finally awake. Good morning, sleeping beauty." Jaemin's voice comes up from the door and Jeno looks over, seeing the younger boy all fully dressed up. "You looked like you needed sleep, so I let you sleep. But the thing is, we're late."

Jeno looks at him in confusion, his eyes darting to the clock beside him and his eyes almost pops out in shock. "Oh shitーwe're late for practice!"

Jaemin's laugh surrounds throughout the hallway as Jeno rushes back to his room and gets ready in a speed of light, running down towards the front door where Jaemin is waiting for him.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Jeno asksーmore like yells, when they're running down the street to catch up with practice.

"As I said, you looked like you needed it. And, you look a  _lot_ less like a zombie." Jaemin respondsーalso yelling.

Jeno only sticks his tongue out at him.

 

They arrived at the dance studio exactly thirty minutes late, sweat running down their faces and the choreographer immediately greeting them by chewing them out, but the words go to their ear and out from their other ear as they subtly glance at each other with smiles on their faces.

When they're finally on their break, Jisung walks to where Jeno and Jaemin are sitting, the said two boys seemingly in their own world as they sit too close to each other for people to even describe as 'only friends.'

"Why were you guys even late? And why weren't you in our room when we woke up, Jeno?" Jisung asks them, opening his water bottle and drinking.

"Well, I slept on Jaemin's bedー" Jeno starts, before getting cut off when Jisung suddenly spits out the water he's drinking. "You what?!"

"Apparently, you snore too loudーit's okay, Jisung-ie, you're still cuteーthat's why he slept in my bed." Jaemin answers for him. Jisung only looks at them before turning around, murmuring, "I don't snore.."

Jaemin laughs as he watches Jisung's retreating back. "He's such a cute kid."

"I'm cuter, though." Jeno answers absentmindedly, to which Jaemin responds by kissing him on the cheek and saying, "You're cutest, after me." He cackles and stands up, running to where the other members are.

Jeno just sits there, still trying to process what happened as he touches the spot that Jaemin kissed with his fingers.  _Holy shit._

However, his reverie is cut off short when Donghyuck shouts. "Lee Jeno, come here!"

Jeno shakes his head and stands up, making his way towards the other members as well.

He catches Jaemin's eyes on the mirror and the younger blows him a quick kiss, the older quickly looking away and smiling softly as he listens to the choreographer.

_Maybe they are more than friends, maybe they are less than lovers, but it's enough. It has always been them, anyways._

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/nomintwt) and scream about nomin with me because that's all i do


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